Viking Rivers Cruises – NEW! Heartland of America (United States) 8 Days

St. Louis (Alton), Missouri, United States
Embark your ship and settle into your stateroom. Alton is the gateway to St. Louis, which was a passageway into the Louisiana Territory during the 19th century. In 1904, St. Louis gained recognition as host of a world’s fair (officially called the Louisiana Purchase Exposition), whereby some accounts the ice-cream cone was introduced. Today, it is home to rich architectural treasures—among them, the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis, with its 41-million-piece mosaic; the Renaissance Revival City Hall; the 19th-century Old Courthouse; and the Gateway Arch, standing along the Mississippi as a monument to westward expansion.

Hannibal, Missouri, United States
Hannibal is the childhood home of Samuel Langhorne Clemens, or Mark Twain, and the inspiration for his beloved stories of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. Prior to the 1803 Louisiana Purchase and arrival of European settlers, a variety of indigenous Native American tribes called the area home. Hannibal grew into the primary port for steamboats and flatboats traveling the Upper Mississippi. “The Unsinkable Molly Brown,” the early 20th-century socialite, philanthropist and survivor of the Titanic tragedy, was also born here.

Burlington, Iowa, United States
The US flag was first raised over Iowa in Burlington—in 1805—by Lieutenant Zebulon Pike during his Mississippi explorations. Later, it became an outpost for the American Fur Company, a trading enterprise founded by John Jacob Astor. In 1834, it took its present name after the Vermont birthplace of its first settler, John Gray. During the steamboat era, it was a major port along the river. Today, the city is home to many magnificent buildings on the National Register of Historic Places, including the art deco Capitol Theater and the Gothic Revival St. Paul’s Church.

Shore Excursions – Historic Burlington
Duration: 2 hours 15 minutes  
Experience small-town American life with a guided tour of this charming city. During your motor coach ride into town, listen as your onboard guide narrates the sites you will see. Call at the Des Moines County Heritage Center in the former Gothic Revival–style library—Iowa’s first free public library. Explore its exhibits and learn about the region’s agricultural history. Discover Burlington’s railroad heritage and its role today in one of North America’s largest railroads. Then, visit the Garrett-Phelps House Museum, an elegant Victorian home filled with antiques and textiles dating to 1774. Enroute back to your ship, stop at Snake Alley, named the world’s most crooked street by Ripley’s Believe It Or Not. This fascinating road is made of limestone and blue clay, to keep the slant to the outside, and features five half curves and two quarter curves.

Quad Cities, Iowa, United States
Straddling the confluence of the Mississippi and Rock Rivers, the Quad Cities area comprises Davenport and Bettendorf, Iowa, and Rock Island, Moline and East Moline, Illinois. As the only section of the Mississippi that flows from east to west, it is geographically unique. Its tightly knit riverside towns thrived due to thoughtful planning and effective leadership. Today, the Quad Cities rest amid the fertile farmland known as “America’s Breadbasket”—the nation’s most expansive and scenic agricultural region—and is home to agribusiness giants including John Deere.

Shore Excursions – John Deere Pavilion & the John Deere Homes
Duration: 3 hours 15 minutes     
See the Deere family homes and discover the inventions that changed American farming at the John Deere Pavilion. Filled with a wide array of iconic green-and-yellow farm machinery, the John Deere Pavilion also includes a replica of John Deere’s original blacksmith shop, as well as simulators and equipment you can climb into and explore. Learn about the history of John Deere and view vintage equipment, as well as modern machinery, including lawn and farm tractors, sprayers, and construction hardware. After touring the Pavilion, visit one of the Deere family homes. Admire the array of antiques and memorabilia as you get a glimpse of the life of America’s Victorian-era gentry and discover how the Deere family built their beloved brand.

Dubuque, Iowa, United States
One of Iowa’s few cities laid out among rolling bluffs, Dubuque is called the “Masterpiece on the Mississippi” for its 19th-century ingenuity and modern-day cultural evolution. Timber and boatbuilding were central to the city’s growth, with wood harvested in Minnesota and Wisconsin. The spirit of this river town lives on in the Cathedral Historic District, dotted with well-preserved buildings and authentic period lampposts. Today, the city is praised for its livability and for its riverside developments, including a museum and aquarium dedicated to the Mississippi River.

Shore Excursions – National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium
Duration: 3 hours     
Explore the culture and wildlife along the Mississippi at the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium. A Smithsonian-affiliated institution and one of only a handful in the nation to be accredited by both the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the American Alliance of Museums, the facility showcases the cultural and natural history of the Mississippi, from its headwaters at Minnesota’s Lake Itasca to the Gulf of Mexico. Acclaimed for its interactive displays, it has five aquariums and numerous exhibits. Upon arrival, you will receive a map, then set out to explore at your leisure. You may choose to see a working wetland and the restored dredge boat that William M. Black built in 1934 for the US Army Corps of Engineers. Or investigate the animal exhibits that include North American river otters, an American alligator and more. Afterward, you will walk back to your ship.

La Crosse, Wisconsin, United States
La Crosse has a deep connection to the towering bluffs and rolling farmland of the Norskedalen, or “Norwegian Valley.” Here, a Norwegian immigrant population has created a unique culture over generations. Historic immigrant villages dot the valley still, a collection of preserved homesteads reflecting a frontier way of life. Today, La Crosse boasts numerous sites on the National Register of Historic Places. Its important architectural landmarks, along with an array of engaging statues along the riverfront, make La Crosse feel like a vast open air museum.

Shore Excursions – La Crosse by Foot
Duration: 2 hours     
Discover the history of La Crosse during an informative stroll with visits to important downtown businesses. At the pier, meet your guide and set out on an approximately 1-mile roundtrip walk along the city’s well-maintained sidewalks, passing landmark buildings dating from the 1860s to the 1940s. Gain insight into La Crosse’s socio-economic history, including the legacies of its lumber and brewing industries. Learn about the drive for historic preservation and adaptive reuse, as well as the important role of family-owned small businesses. Your route will take you to several of these foundational businesses, where you will meet the respective owners and listen to their stories. Depending on the timing of your excursion, you will either enjoy a morning coffee and pastry at a bakery or an afternoon flight of locally crafted beers at brew pub before returning to your ship.

Shore Excursions – River Town Discovery
Duration: 3 hours     
See the best of La Crosse—from top to bottom—on this tour that blends scenic views with historic landmarks. Begin your journey at one of the city’s parks where you will enjoy vistas of La Crosse, the Mississippi and the three states of Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa. As you make your way downtown, view St. Rose Convent and learn the story of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration. Next, visit the Hixon House, the former home of the 19th-century lumber baron Gideon C. Hixon. The modest exterior belies the rich interior filled with furnishings and objects Hixon acquired during his international travels. At the end of your tour, you can stroll the downtown area, whose shops and restaurants are housed in architecturally interesting historic buildings.

Red Wing, Minnesota, United States
Red Wing is known for its Red Wing Shoes, which produced footwear for soldiers in both world wars. The city was named after a Sioux chief whose red-dyed swan wing indicated his rank. The first settlers—many from New England—arrived in the mid-1800s. German, Irish and Scandinavian immigrants followed, bringing skills in tanning, shoemaking, pottery and more. The city boasts a diversity of legacies including Red Wing Stoneware and Pottery, founded in 1877 as the nation’s first commercial potter. Today, Red Wing enjoys a place in the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Shore Excursions – Downtown Red Wing & the National Eagle Center
Duration: 3 hours 30 minutes     
Get acquainted with Red Wing and learn about America’s national symbol at the National Eagle Center. Red Wing is set among scenic bluffs and a majestic harbor, which you will see en route to the eagle interpretive center in Wabasha. Your guide will point out the many sites you may wish to visit on your own during your free time. There are 26 museums and many eye-catching, historic and architectural gems. The waterfront features three parks: Colvill, Bay Point and Levee Parks. And the downtown area abounds in art and craft galleries, cafés and shops. Arriving at the National Eagle Center, you will see majestic American bald eagles and golden eagles up close, and learn about the ecology, biology and natural history of these magnificent raptors.

St. Paul, Minnesota, United States
Bid farewell to your fellow guests and journey home. Or spend more time exploring, perhaps joining one of our extensions.